Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector including a connector terminal which is to be inserted into a terminal space formed in a housing, and has a lance preventing the connector terminal from being pulled out of the terminal space.
Description of the Related Art
A certain kind of a connector terminal is inserted into a terminal space formed in a housing. The connector terminal is formed with one or more lances for preventing the connector terminal from being pulled out of the terminal space, even if a cable connected to the connector terminal is pulled.
FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a conventional connector terminal with a lance, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open on No. 1999-3739.
The illustrated connector terminal 1017 includes a contact section 1018 being hollow and having a rectangular cross-section. An elastic contact piece 1024 is formed on an upper surface of the contact section 1018. The elastic contact piece 1024 includes a flat portion 1026, and a raised portion 1025 projecting centrally on the flat portion 1026 and to be engaged with an engagement hole of a connector housing (not shown).
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of another conventional connector terminal with a pair of lances, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open on No. 2005-85649.
The illustrated connector terminal includes a body 1101 being hollow and having a rectangular cross-section. The body 1101 is formed on left and right sidewalls 1102 and 1103 thereof with a pair of lances 1104 f. Each of the lances 1104 outwardly inclines from the left and right sidewalls 1102 and 1103 such that a portion of the lances 1104 is remoter from the left and right sidewalls 1102 and 1103 at a direction 1105 in which a pin (not shown) is inserted into the body 1101.
The conventional connector terminals illustrated in FIGS. 32 and 33 are inserted into a terminal space with the lance or lances for abutting on a ceiling and/or a sidewall(s) of the terminal space, and thus, the lance or lances is/are closed. If the lance or lances is/are compressed at a proximal end(s) thereof by a ceiling and/or a sidewall(s) of the terminal space when the connector terminals are inserted into the terminal space. The lance or lances is/are sometimes plastically deformed with the proximal end(s) thereof being closed. As a result, the lance or lances cannot be open, and accordingly, the connector terminals may be pulled out of the terminal space, if a cable is intensively pulled.